The organization formerly known as the Saskatchewan Abilities Council Inc. has unveiled its new name. Dropping many letters from its moniker, it is now called SaskAbilities.
The new name, which comes with a new mission statement, is a way to bring more clarity explains John Denysek, director of SaskAbilities, Yorkton Branch.
“More efficient, more up to date. I know at times when you have the word ‘council’ people think we are associated with government or city council or some subcommittee of that. We hope this provides more clarity and a stronger identity for who we are, who we’re supporting and what we hope to achieve.”
The new mission statement is as follows: “SaskAbilities supports people experiencing disability with programs and services to enhance their lives.” They also have a new vision statement, that being “Working together to build inclusive communities for people of all abilities.” Those statements mean SaskAbilities will continue to serve people with disabilities in the community, Denysek says, but they will now offer more support to caregivers and family members of people with disabilities.
“In Yorkton, we’ve been very lucky. The community is embracing new ways of delivering services and supporting people. We see us continuing to grow that and become even more community based.”
The switch to a new identity is expected to take about six to eight months. The initial switch will focus on external factors, such as signs, their online presence, letterheads and so on, with replacement of internal signs following.
The new name also means a new website, which can be found at www.saskabilities.ca.
